At the 3rd annual LA Loves Alex's Lemonade, hosts Suzanne Goin and David Lentz wrangled an illustrious crew of chefs, bartenders and wineries to donate their time and talent in the fight against childhood cancer—including their very good friend Chris Bianco. Battling the late summer heat, Chris pulled, topped and fired a seemingly endless stream of Mariana Pizzetter topped with crushed Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, garlic, oregano, sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

The crust wore its char well. Deep black spotting gave way to a tender bubble filled crumb. The char spotted underside sagged, saturated with the rich juices of the vividly red sauce. The flavor of the pulpy tomatoes was clean and slightly sweet. The garlic, though applied raw, lingered in the background with the oregano. Sea salt added a savoriness that almost overwhelmed the delicate balance of sauce and crust.

These days Chris is spending at least half the year in London with the Union Jacks restaurants—so it's a honor to have him slinging dough into a mobile oven on the lawn of a movie studio. Throughout the event, the line at his booth never let up. Some joined the queue simply because of the mystique, but then got back in line for more near-perfect pizza.

Chris Bianco

About the author: After nearly a decade in Brooklyn, Kelly Bone landed back in Los Angeles where she writes The Vegetarian Foodie. She spends the rest of her time designing office cubicles... you might be sitting in one right now! Follow her on Twitter at @TheVegFoodie

After stints in the Bay Area and NYC, Kelly landed back in her hometown of Los Angeles. She knows how to order vegetarian and vegan at almost any west coast (best coast) restaurant—which means she sometimes cocktails through dinner. She is seriously obsessed with all things pizza and is constantly seeking the next great slice. You can follow her on Instagram: @KellyBone

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